Source: Gen. Allen may retire

Gen. John Allen is seriously considering retiring to spend more time with his family after years of continuous deployments, a source in his camp told POLITICO.

Allen, who just returned from the battlefield, is still weighing President Barack Obama’s nomination to lead European Command in Brussels and is hesitant for the family reasons, the source said, not because of the scandal surrounding emails he sent while commanding the war in Afghanistan or because he’s being pushed out by other military services.

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"Bottom line ... his family has had a rough go these last few years. This is about them. This is not about the emails or the investigation," said the source, who spoke to Allen after news broke on Wednesday that he was reportedly being forced to step down.

The four-star general has told friends that he’s greatly concerned about his family’s needs after being focused on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for more than a decade — and the toll the investigation took on his family when he was accused of sending inappropriate emails that were linked to the extramarital affair that forced his friend, retired Gen. David Petraeus, out as CIA director.

Allen was cleared of any wrongdoing, but friends said he felt that not enough attention was given to the outcome of the investigation, which found that the number of emails sent was misreported and that his wife was copied on most of them.

The Petraeus scandal "and its fallout has taken a toll on John," Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos said on Thursday. "He is a man of great integrity, and his integrity was being questioned."

The offer to take the NATO post, which was held up, is still on the table. But he’s, in fact, considering retirement, the source said. Like other troops who come home from war, Allen simply wants some time to readjust.

Allen’s spokesman said the White House and the Pentagon have both told Allen to take some time to decide his future.

"After 19 months in command in Afghanistan and many before that spent away from home, Gen. Allen has been offered time to rest and reunite with his family before he turns his attention to his next assignment,” Maj. David Nevers said.

Kate Brannen contributed to this report.

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 4:40 p.m. on February 13, 2013.